PCB Pushing For Resumption Of IND-PAK Bilateral Cricket, Reveals BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla After Pakistan Visit

BCCI President Roger Binny and Vice-President Rajeev Shukla said that even though PCB wanted bilateral cricket relations between India and Pakistan to resume, it is for the government to decide.

The President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Roger Binny, and the Vice-President, Rajeev Shukla, returned to the Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar after completing their visit to Pakistan on Wednesday (September 6). Their visit to Pakistan came about in response to an invitation extended by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to members of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and representatives from various cricket boards. The purpose of their visit was to attend the Asia Cup matches held in Lahore.

During their stay in Pakistan, they also had the opportunity to interact with players from the cricket teams of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. This interaction took place at a grand gala dinner organized as part of the Asia Cup festivities.

"It was a two-day visit and a good visit. The Governor hosted a dinner in our honour. The hospitality of the people of the Pakistan Cricket Board was also good. Their demand was that cricket between the two countries should be resumed, we said it would be decided by govt and we would do whatever our govt would say. It was a cricket visit and there was no political agenda," said Shukla as quoted by ANI. 

"The meeting was very good. The Pakistan Cricket Board took very good care of us. It was goodwill visit for cricket which went well. It is for the government to decide (whether India will visit Pakistan for cricket series)," Shukla told PTI.

Meanwhile, BCCI President Roger Binny also said that they received a warm hospitality in Pakistan. Overall, he called it a "fantastic experience."

"It was a fantastic experience. Like when we played the test match in 1984 the same hospitality was given to us. We were treated like kings over there, so it was an excellent time for us. We were able to meet all the Pakistan officials and the Pakistan Cricket Board. They are very happy with the outcome of us coming there as we were so happy to be there also at the same time," the former India all-rounder said as per ANI.

"The government is going to take a call on whether India will play Pakistan. Hopefully it will happen because the World Cup is coming," says Binny told PTI.

Notably, the two sides have not played a bilateral series since 2012 and meet only in ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup.